Counterbalanced file cabinet



2 Sheets-Sheet l pril 19, 1932. H. MULLER GOUNTERBALANCED FILE CABINET Filled April 25 1929 unnnnwuhuuun- UNMMUUHHHNUIHHHHHM xm l n April '19, 1932- H. MULLER COUNTERBALANCED FILE CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25. 1929 50 balanced tile Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATESl PATENT i oF FICE.

HENRY MULLER, OF MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY `v COUNTERBALANCED FILE CABINET Application ined April 25,

al drawers to any desired level. lar, the invention relates to such which substantially all of the contents of the filing drawers remain permanently withinthe drawers and I'are .notV withdrawn as, for, example, a card index'ling'cabinet in which only a ffew, if any, of the cards are removed from a. drawer ata time.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a counterbalanced le cabinet; consisting of raised and lowered by means of a pulley and cable, each housing `having a like series of superposed drawers, onev housing and its drawers and contents being at all times counterbalancedv by the other housing and its 3o drawers and lil'e, contents, the individual drawers of each series beingadapted to be moved horizontally to permit easy access to thecontents thereof,`without affecting the counterbalancing relation.

Another Objectis to provide a work board for such which boardis mounted in front of the cabinet and carries a desk slidingly arranged on the board. Thedesk may be moved alongside of a drawer which has been pulled out and the user may use the desk when `examining the contents of the drawer. y Another object is to provide the face of each lilingdra-wer with a recess, which forms a depression handle for each drawer, thus avoidingl injury to the users hand 'when pulling y,down a drawer nto the level of the work board. i

Another object is to provide-Va countercabinet of simplified construc- In particua cabinet in a `pair ofhousings which may be A counterbalanced file cabinet,

`other end of cable 7 is attached.

Serial No. 358,021.

tion in which a multiplicity of moving parts i i 1s avoided. p v l With the above and other objects in View, my invention consistsin the part, improvements and combinations more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings: Figure'l is a front elevation illustrating two counterbalanced cabinetsv and showing the housings which contain the series of drawers, and the means for raising and lowering the housings.

`Figure 2 is a detail view of the enclosing frame and housing and the means for guiding the housing in the frame.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partlyv in section, showing a ydrawer'in its Vhorizontally moved position Vand illustrating the sliding desk alongside of the drawer.

Figure 4 is a detail view, partly in section, showing' the drawer with'a recess in itsiront face which provides the depression handle, and

Figure 5 is a detail. View showing the pair of pulleys providedv for raising and lowering the housings .when provided withV filing draw'- ers of largewidth.

Figure 6 is a detail View of the weighted disk used torcompensating for variations in the counterbalancing relation.

. Inthedrawings, and in accordance'with my' invention, the counterbalanced file cabinet consists of anouter, enclosing frame l, which is preferably open-faced at its front. A pair of lhousings 2, 3, are provided which 4. Each housing contains a like series of superposed filing drawers, Housing 2, V at its top, carries a bracket 6, to which is secured one end of cable and housing 3, is vprovided at yits top with a bracket 8, to whichthe Suitably mounted in the top of the frame 1,7is a shaft 9,'which carries a guide pulley l0, over'` the top .of which the cable?, passes, for raising and lowering the housings, with a minimum amount of friction.

` `This construction` whereby the housings are suspended 'by a cable which passes over and engages substantially the upper circumference of the guide pulley, permits the housings to be freely movable by hand. Y

Means are provided for guiding the housings in the frame 1, so that they may be raised and lowered easily and without oscillation. In the form shown, these means coinprise tracks 12, a pair of which tracks are carried by the inner sides 11 of frame 1, and by the sides of the division wall 4. The outer sides of the housings each carry guides 13, which are adapted to slidingly engage the tracks 12, thereby permitting the housings to be easily raised and lowered without oscillation.

The individual drawers of each series are slidingly mounted in their respective housings in a known manner, so that they may be moved horizontally, that is pulled out Jr'or substantially their entire length, to enable the user to examine the contents of the drawer.

The drawers of the series contained in each housing are of like number and the cards to be filed therein is so arranged within the drawers of both series, that one housing with its drawers and contents of cards at all times substantially counterbalances the other housing with its drawers and contents of cards. By these means any drawer of either series may be pulled down to a` desired working level and moved horizontally in its housing, that is pulled out, without displacement, so that its contents may be examined. The housing containing a drawer and contents which has been pulled out or use will be maintained stationary in' its position by means of the counterbalancing effect of the other housing with its drawers and contents.

My invention is particularly adapted to be used with a card index tiling system or other system in which substantially all of the contents of the drawers remain permanently within the drawers and are not withdrawn. however, it will be understood, a small portion of the contents of a drawerl may be removed without disturbing the counterbalancing relation. Disks 14, having slots 14a, are provided, see Figure 6, which may be placed about the cable 7, above one housing or the other, to compensate for slight variations of the counterbalancing relation if, for any reason, this should occur. Y

As shown, a work board 15, is provided which is secured by braces 16, to the frame 1, and extends along and in front of the cabinet. The front and back of board 15 is provided with a groove or track 17. Slidingly arranged on the board is a desk 18, having rollers 19, adapted to run in the grooves or tracks of the board. When a drawer of one series is to be used, the desk is moved along the grooves away drawer is brought down to the level of the board and pulled out. The desk may then from this series, and theA be moved back alongside of drawer. The desk is preferably of the same height as the filing drawer. This provides a convenient working arrangement for the user of the cabinet, and avoids working in shadows which might be thrown by the drawer which has been pulled out. The desk and board are constructed ot such a width with relation to the length of the drawer that the desk may be conveniently used with a drawer irrespective of the portion of the contents, front or back, of the drawer which is to be examined. The desk 18, may also be equipped with trays for holding pencils, pens or other materials to be used in connection with the records contained in the cabinet. The rear edge of board 15, may also be provided with suitable cushioning means to avoid damage to the drawerV or board should a drawer be pulled down and out too fast. The cabinet with its drawers, the workboard and the desk mounted slidingly thereon present a unitary device enabling entries to be made with cards while a drawer is withdrawn, and insuring the pulled out the proper and prompt refiling of the cards y in the drawers.

The cabinets may be arranged in a row or battery, see'Figure 1. Each cabinet contains a pair of housings and in each housing of a pair a like number of tained, so that veach housing of a pair with its drawers and contents counterbalances the other housing of the pair, with its drawers and contents. Vith such an arrangement a drawers are consingle work board may be used mounted in front of all the cabinets of a row and one desk 1S, slidingly arranged-onv the board may be used with all the drawers of the cabinets. The front face of each drawer, see Figure 4, is provided with a downwardly wardly extending recess which forms a depression handle 20. This avoids the possibility of injury to the users hand as by 3amming the fingers between the drawer handle and the board. handle, each drawer may be grasped and brought down in such a manner that the slant of the handle forces the fingersout of the and in- By providing the depression boards as the drawer reaches the level of I the work board.

As shown, the ends of cable 7, are attached to the respective housings a pair at the top center thereof and the rotatable means provided in the top of Jframe 1, extend from center to center of the housings. the housings to be easilv and rapidly manipulated without sticking. In Figure 1, a single pulley 10 is shown for each pair of housings, the diameter oi' the pulley being equal to the distance from center to center of the housings. When drawers of extra large width are used, see Figure 5, a pair of pulleys may be provided. In the latter case, these pulleys 21 are each of such diameter that, mounted closely together, the pulleys take up a dis This permits distance from center to center of the pair of housings.

The counterbalanced cabinet of my invention, it will be seen, is of simplified construction yand avoids a multiplicity of moving parts. The superposed drawers effect a large saving of floor space and facilitate the work of the cabinet user, making it possible to eX- amine numerous records without change of position.

Having thus described the invention its operation will be clear. It will be understood that changes may be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A counterbalanced lile cabinet comprising an open-faced frame, a division wall, a pair of housings, one at each side of said division wall, means for guiding the housings along the frame and division wall, a like series of superposed drawers carried by each housing, and free to slide horizontally therein, one housing with its drawers and contents substantially counterbalancing thev other housing with its drawers and contents, a cable for suspending the housings, and a freely rotatable guide pulley mounted in the top of said frame, said cable engaging substantially the. upper semi-circumference of the guide pulley and passing directly from said guide pulley to said housings, whereby the housings are freely movable.

2. A counterbalanced tile cabinet comprising a pair of housings arranged side by side, a series of superposed drawers carried by each housing and free to slide horizontally therein, one housing' with its drawers and contents substantially counterbalancing the other housing with its drawers and contents, a cable from which the housings are suspended for raising and lowering the housings, a freely rotatable guide pulley over which the "able passes directly to the housings, a work board extending in front of said housings and arranged at a suitable working level, and a desk slidingly arranged on said work board.

3. A counterbalanced card index iile cabinet comprising an open-faced frame, a pair tance equal to the of housings arranged side by side in said frame, a like series of superposed drawers carried by each housing and free to slide horizontally therein, one housing with its drawers and contents substantially counterbalancing the other housing with its drawers and contents, a cable from which the housings are suspended, a rotatable guide pulley over which the cable passes directly to the housings, a workboard secured tothe frame and extending in front of the housings, front and back grooves in said board, and a desk provided with rollers engaging said grooves.

4. A counterbalanced cardindex file cabinet comprising an open-face frame, a pair of housings arranged side by side within the frame, a series of superposed drawers carried in each housing and free to therein, one housing contents substantially other housing with its drawers and contents, a cable suspending the housings for raisin and lowering said housings, a freely rotatable guide pulley mounted in the top of said frame, said cable passing over -said pulley directly to said housings, a workboard secured to the frame and arranged in front of said housings. and a desk slidingly arranged on said board, each of said housing drawers having a recess in its front face forming a depression handle.

5. counterbalanced card index iile cabinet comprising an open-face frame, a air of housings arranged side by side within the frame, a series of superposed drawers carried slide horizontally with its drawers and counterbalancing the by each housing and free to slide horizontally Y therein, one hou. ing with its drawers and contents substantially counterbalancing the other housing with its drawers and contents, a cable for suspending the housings, and freely rotatable guide means over which the cable passes directly to the housings, said guide means being mounted in said frame and extending from center to center of the housings. Y

6. A row of counterbalancing card index file cabinets, each cabinet comprising an open frame, a pair'of housings arranged side by side within each frame, a series of superposed drawers carried by each housing and free to slide horizontally therein, one housing with its drawers and contents substantially counterbalancing the other housing of each frame with its drawers and contents, a cable for suspending the housings, freely rotatable guide means for the cable, said cable passing over said means directly to said housings, a workbo-ard extending in front of said row of file cabinets,rand a desk slidingly arranged on said board.

In testimony whereof, I have name to this specification;

HENRY MULLER.

signed my 

